electric vehicle

Abstract

Electric vehicle (1), in particular passenger cars, with a passenger compartment (5), with a front compartment (6) which connects to the front of the passenger compartment (5), with a front wall (8) that separates the passenger compartment (5) from the front compartment (6), with an air conditioning system (10) for air conditioning the passenger compartment (5), wherein the air conditioning system (10) has a housing (11) arranged in front of the front wall (8) in the front compartment (6), which contains a cooler (13) and a heater (14) and at least partially a blower (12), wherein at least one fresh air outlet duct (16) of the air conditioning system (10) leads from the housing (11) through the front wall (8) into the passenger compartment (5), characterized by that the housing (11) is designed as a body-in-white stiffening structure and is installed in the body-in-white (3) of the electric vehicle (1) to stiffen a body-in-white structure (3), and that the blower (12) comprises a fresh air blower wheel (23) that drives fresh air from a fresh air inlet (27) open to the environment (26) of the electric vehicle (1) to at least one fresh air outlet duct (16), at least one exhaust air blower wheel (24) that drives exhaust air from an exhaust air inlet (29) open to the front compartment (6) to an exhaust air outlet (30) open to the environment (26), and a blower motor (31) that drives at least the fresh air blower wheel (23).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle, in particular a passenger car, with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] An electric vehicle of this type is known, for example, from DE 10 2009 057 870 A1. Such an electric vehicle has a passenger compartment and a front compartment that adjoins the passenger compartment at the front. The relative terms "front" and "rear" refer to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, with front areas facing the front of the vehicle and rear areas facing the rear. Such a vehicle also has a bulkhead that separates the passenger compartment from the front compartment. Furthermore, such an electric vehicle is equipped with an air conditioning system for the passenger compartment. Such an air conditioning system is often also referred to as an HVAC system, where HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.In this context, an "electric vehicle" is understood to be a vehicle that is purely electrically powered and does not have a piston engine. The electric vehicle can be configured as a battery-electric vehicle and accordingly have a traction battery for power supply. The electric vehicle can, in particular, have a fuel cell for generating electricity.

[0003] In a vehicle of this type, the air conditioning system comprises a blower to drive a fresh air stream, a cooler to cool the fresh air stream, a heater to heat the fresh air stream, and a housing in which the blower, cooler, and heater are arranged. The housing is located in front of the bulkhead, i.e., in the front of the vehicle. At least one fresh air outlet duct of the air conditioning system leads from the housing through the bulkhead into the passenger compartment.

[0004] US patent 2003 / 0 124 969 A1 discloses a vehicle in which the air conditioning system is located partly in front of the bulkhead, i.e., in the front compartment, and partly behind the bulkhead, i.e., in the passenger compartment. In the passenger compartment, the components of the air conditioning system are integrated into an instrument panel.

[0005] From DE 10 2010 047 850 A1, a vehicle is known in which the air conditioning system is arranged in a conventional manner behind the front wall, i.e. in the passenger compartment.

[0006] From DE 100 23 847 A1, a vehicle is known in which the air conditioning system is integrated into an instrument panel in such a way that it is relatively easy to access from the passenger compartment.

[0007] From US 2003 / 0 228 213 A1 and from US 2014 / 0 234 092 A1, a blower for an air conditioning system of a vehicle is known, in which a blower motor drives two blower wheels, which for this purpose are arranged on both sides of the blower motor and are connected to its rotor in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0008] The present invention addresses the problem of providing an improved or at least an alternative embodiment for an electric vehicle of the aforementioned type, which is characterized in particular by improved utilization of the available installation space. Furthermore, it aims to demonstrate additional functions for the air conditioning system that increase its utility without incurring excessive additional costs.

[0009] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0010] The invention is based on the general concept of using the housing of the air conditioning unit specifically to stiffen the body-in-white of the electric vehicle. This gives the air conditioning unit an additional function via its housing. In particular, it makes it possible to increase the stiffness of the body-in-white or, while maintaining the same stiffness, to eliminate the need for other stiffening elements in the area of ​​the housing within the body-in-white, thus enabling a lighter and more cost-effective overall body-in-white. For this purpose, the housing is designed according to the invention as a body-in-white stiffening structure and is integrated into the body-in-white of the electric vehicle to stiffen it. As a result, the housing, as a body-in-white stiffening structure within the body-in-white, is specifically used to transmit forces and moments acting on the body-in-white during operation and also in the event of a crash.The greatest potential for functional integration in terms of "body stiffening" can be realized when the arrangement is based on Y0. This also ensures that no further differences between right- and left-hand drive vehicles need to be considered.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment, the housing can have a rigid metal frame and / or at least one rigid metal support, for example in the form of a diagonal beam and / or a crossbeam, which is attached to the body structure. The metal frame or the respective metal support, which is rigidly connected to the body structure, can thus absorb and transmit forces and, in particular, moments. It is not necessary for the entire housing to be made of metal. Rather, it may suffice to equip the housing with a rigid metal frame or with one or more rigid metal supports. In particular, it is conceivable that the housing has a shell body made of plastic, which can be configured as a single piece or in multiple parts and which is rigidly connected to the metal frame or the respective metal support.In particular, it is conceivable that at least part of this shell body is injection-molded onto the metal frame or the respective metal support. Alternatively, it is equally conceivable to design the entire housing as a rigid metal housing that includes or forms the metal frame or several metal supports.

[0012] According to an advantageous embodiment, the body-in-white structure in the front section can have a strut tower on each side of the vehicle, against which a strut of an independent suspension is supported. The housing of the air conditioning system can then be rigidly connected to the two strut towers of the front section. This provides lateral support for the two strut towers within the front section, i.e., in a front area of ​​the body-in-white structure.

[0013] According to the invention, the blower has a fresh air blower wheel that drives fresh air from a fresh air inlet open to the vehicle's surroundings to at least one fresh air outlet duct when the blower is in operation. The fresh air blower wheel thus supplies fresh air to the passenger compartment to regulate its temperature, i.e., to cool or heat it as needed. The blower also has at least one exhaust air blower wheel that drives exhaust air from an exhaust air inlet open to the front of the vehicle to an exhaust air outlet open to the surroundings when the blower is in operation. The exhaust air blower wheel thus allows exhaust air from the front of the vehicle to be transported into the surroundings. This is particularly advantageous in electric vehicles when the front of the vehicle is used as a kind of equipment compartment or technical compartment for the electrical and electronic components of the electric vehicle.Such components can include, in particular, electric motors, power electronics, and / or an inverter. These components can generate heat during the operation of the electric vehicle, which must be dissipated to ensure their functionality and to maximize their service life.

[0014] The blower is also equipped with a blower motor, preferably an electric motor, which drives at least the fresh air blower wheel. For this purpose, the fresh air blower wheel can be non-rotatably connected to a rotor shaft of the blower motor.

[0015] According to an advantageous further development, the fresh air blower wheel can be arranged in a central area of ​​the front wall with respect to a transverse direction of the vehicle. This simplifies the development of vehicle variants for left-hand drive and right-hand drive vehicles.

[0016] A particularly advantageous embodiment includes two exhaust fan wheels arranged on either side of the fresh air fan wheel, relative to the vehicle's transverse direction. Furthermore, two exhaust outlets can be provided, each assigned to one of the exhaust fan wheels. This means that one exhaust fan wheel directs the exhaust air drawn from the front of the vehicle to one outlet, while the other exhaust fan wheel directs the same air to the other outlet. Since the exhaust air is drawn from the front of the vehicle at two separate points via separate exhaust inlets, efficient heat dissipation from the front of the vehicle can be achieved. The extraction of exhaust air from the front of the vehicle creates a slight negative pressure, which draws fresh air from the surrounding environment into the vehicle through corresponding air inlets.Such air intakes can be found, for example, at the front of the vehicle in the area of ​​a radiator grille. Similarly, the front of the vehicle can have such air intakes at floor level, allowing fresh air to flow into the front compartment from below.

[0017] To ensure proper function (inlet and outlet), the flow and pressure conditions around the vehicle must be observed and taken into account in the design.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment, the blower motor can drive the fresh air blower wheel and the at least one exhaust air blower wheel. For this purpose, the blower wheels can be rotationally fixed to the rotor of the blower motor, i.e., mechanically coupled. In particular, the blower wheels and the rotor of the blower motor can be arranged on a common axis of rotation. Such a mechanical coupling via a rotationally fixed connection to the rotor of the blower motor is advantageous when the blower wheels can be arranged relatively close to each other and when they can rotate about a common axis of rotation.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment, the blower can have a bypass on the pressure side of the fresh air blower wheel, through which a bypass airflow is discharged and supplied to at least one exhaust air blower wheel to drive it. In this embodiment, a mechanical coupling between the blower motor and the respective exhaust air blower wheel is omitted. Instead, a fluidic coupling between the fresh air blower wheel and the respective exhaust air blower wheel is created via the bypass to provide a fluidic drive for the respective exhaust air blower wheel. Such a fluidic coupling can be implemented cost-effectively even in complex installation situations.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment, the bypass at the respective exhaust fan wheel can have an outlet nozzle directed at the blades of the exhaust fan wheel, so that the bypass airflow exiting the outlet nozzle drives the respective exhaust fan wheel. Between the intake point downstream of the fresh air fan wheel and the outlet nozzle, the bypass can be configured, in particular, as a hose, which simplifies its routing in the front compartment.

[0021] According to another advantageous embodiment, the respective exhaust air outlet can be arranged in the area of ​​a rear end of a front flap for closing the front compartment and directed towards a windshield, so that the exhaust air flows onto the windshield from the outside when the blower is operating. This allows the windshield to be heated from the outside, particularly during the cold season, enabling, for example, rapid defrosting.

[0022] Another advantageous embodiment proposes that the front wall, in the transverse direction of the vehicle, has a central opening through which all fresh air outlet ducts are routed from the housing into the passenger compartment. This simplifies the installation of the air conditioning system.

[0023] The construction method presented here offers further advantages that can be utilized accordingly. For example, the front body shell structure in the area of ​​the bulkhead within the passenger compartment only requires a support structure for the steering linkage on the driver's side, while additional stiffening structures are not necessary on the passenger side. The additional installation space gained in the instrument panel on the passenger side can, for example, be used to accommodate a particularly large passenger airbag.

[0024] Locating the air conditioning unit's housing in the front compartment significantly simplifies maintenance and repair, as this placement allows for easy access. For example, a front-mounted cover can be accessible and removable, providing easy access to the components inside.

[0025] Further important features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the drawings and the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0026] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the invention. Components of a higher-level unit, such as a device, apparatus, or arrangement, mentioned above and those to be mentioned below, which are designated separately, can form separate parts or components of this unit or be integral areas or sections of this unit, even if this is depicted differently in the drawings.

[0027] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar or functionally identical components.

[0028] They show, schematically, Fig. 1. A highly simplified, basic isometric view of the front part of an electric vehicle, Fig. 2 a highly simplified isometric front view of the electric vehicle in the area of ​​an air conditioning system, Fig. 3 a highly simplified longitudinal section of the electric vehicle in the area of ​​the air conditioning system.

[0029] Accordingly Fig. Figure 1 comprises an electric vehicle 1, which is only partially depicted here and is preferably a passenger car, a body 2 having a body shell 3, partially indicated by a broken line, and an outer skin 4 for cladding the body shell 3. The electric vehicle 1 also has, in the usual manner, a passenger compartment 5 and a front compartment 6, which adjoins the passenger compartment 5 at the front. The relative locations "front" and "rear" refer to a longitudinal direction X of the vehicle, with front areas of the Fig. 1. The recognizable front of the vehicle (7) is facing the rear areas, while the rear areas are facing the rear. Fig. 1. are facing the rear of the vehicle, which is not shown.

[0030] The electric vehicle 1 also has a front wall 8, which extends along a transverse direction Y and along a vertical axis Z, separating the passenger compartment 5 from the front compartment 6. In the electric vehicle 1, the front compartment 6 serves to house electrical and / or electronic components 9 that can generate waste heat during operation. Such components 9 include, for example, electric motors, power electronics, control units, and the like.

[0031] The electric vehicle 1 is also equipped with an air conditioning system 10, which serves to air-condition the passenger compartment 5. This air conditioning system 10 has a housing 11, a fan 12, and a [missing information - likely a component or element]. Fig. 3 identifiable coolers 13 and one in Fig. 3 identifiable heaters 14. The blower 12 serves to generate a fresh air flow 15, which enters the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 is indicated by arrows. This fresh air flow 15 is guided through the cooler 13 and the heater 14 in the housing 11. The cooler 13, which can be configured as an evaporator of a refrigeration circuit not shown in detail here, can cool the fresh air flow 15. The heater 14, which can be configured as an electric heater, a heat exchanger of a cooling or heating circuit not shown in detail here, or a combination thereof, can heat the fresh air flow 15. The cooler 13, the heater 14, and part of the fan 12 are arranged in the housing 11. The housing 11 itself is located in the front compartment 6, i.e., in front of the end wall 8. In the example of the Fig. 3. Several fresh air outlet ducts 16 extend through the front wall 8. These fresh air outlet ducts 16 run partially within an instrument panel 17, which is located in the passenger compartment 5 and connects to the rear of the front wall 8. The fresh air outlet ducts 16 terminate in air vents 18 and open into the passenger compartment 5.

[0032] The housing 11 is designed as a structural stiffening structure and is integrated into the structural frame 3 in such a way that it stiffens the structural frame 3. This means that the structural frame 3 has less stiffness when the housing 11 is missing than when the housing 11 is installed. In particular, the housing 11 can, as shown in Fig. 1 indicated, have a rigid metal frame 19. It is also conceivable that the housing 11 has at least one in Fig. to equip 2 with a rigid metal beam 20, which can be designed, for example, as a crossbeam. Configurations with one or more diagonal beams are also conceivable. According to Fig. 3 The body shell structure 3 can have one strut tower 21 on each side of the vehicle in the front compartment 6. The housing 11 can now be firmly connected to these two strut towers 21. In Fig. 3 shows a connection point 22 between the housing 11 and one of the strut towers 21.

[0033] According to the, blower 12 has Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 a fresh air blower wheel 23 and at least one exhaust air blower wheel 24. In the example shown here, two such exhaust air blower wheels 24 are provided. In Fig. 2 The fresh air blower wheel 23 and the two exhaust air blower wheels 24 are arranged side by side and coaxially to a common axis of rotation 25, which preferably extends parallel to the transverse direction Y of the vehicle. In Fig. In Figure 3, the fresh air blower wheel 23 and the exhaust air blower wheels 24 are arranged one behind the other in the direction of view. The fresh air blower wheel 23 serves to generate the fresh air flow 15. For this purpose, the fresh air blower wheel 23 drives fresh air from a fresh air inlet 27, open to the surroundings 26 of the electric vehicle 1, to the respective fresh air outlet duct 16, in which the fresh air then flows to the associated outlet 18 and ultimately enters the passenger compartment 5. In contrast, the respective exhaust air blower wheel 24 serves to generate an airflow into the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 exhaust airflow 28, indicated by arrows. For this purpose, the respective exhaust fan wheel 24 drives exhaust air from an exhaust inlet 29, open to the front chamber 6, to an exhaust outlet 30, open to the surroundings 26, from which the exhaust air can flow into the surroundings 26. The fan 12 is also equipped with a fan motor 31, which is configured as an electric motor and which drives at least the fresh air fan wheel 23. For this purpose, the fresh air fan wheel 23 is expediently arranged coaxially to a rotor 32 of the fan motor 31 and thus connected in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0034] Advantageously, the fresh air blower wheel 23 is arranged in a central area of ​​the front wall 8 with respect to the vehicle's transverse direction Y. The two exhaust air blower wheels 24 are arranged on either side of the fresh air blower wheel 23 with respect to the vehicle's transverse direction Y. This means that the fresh air blower wheel 23 is located between the two exhaust air blower wheels 24 with respect to the vehicle's transverse direction Y. Advantageously, the electric vehicle 1 or the air conditioning system 10 is equipped with two exhaust air outlets 30, each assigned to one of the exhaust air blower wheels 24. The two exhaust air outlets 30 are spaced apart from each other. Furthermore, a separate exhaust air inlet 29 can also be provided for each exhaust air blower wheel 24. The two exhaust air inlets 29 are spaced apart from each other. To allow ambient air 26 to flow into the front chamber 6 during operation of the exhaust fan wheels 24, the front chamber can be equipped with at least one fresh air inlet opening 33, of which in Fig. 1. An example is shown: a [unclear] is located at the bottom 34 of the front chamber 6. Thus, fresh air 35 can enter the front chamber 6, as indicated by an arrow, when exhaust air is extracted from the front chamber 6 and supplied to the environment 26. The exhaust air can then be used to remove heat from the components 9 in the front chamber 6.

[0035] In a compact embodiment, the blower motor 31 can simultaneously drive the exhaust fan wheel(s) 24. For this purpose, the respective exhaust fan wheel 24 can be arranged coaxially to the rotor 32 of the blower motor 31 and thus connected in a rotationally fixed manner. Alternatively, in Fig. 2. By way of example only for the left exhaust fan wheel 24, another possibility for driving at least one exhaust fan wheel 24 is presented, in which it is not necessary to arrange the respective fan wheel 24 coaxially to the fan motor 31. According to Fig. 2. The blower 12 can have a bypass 36 on the pressure side of the fresh air blower wheel 23, i.e., on a side of the fresh air blower wheel 23 facing away from the fresh air inlet 27, through which a bypass airflow 37, indicated by an arrow, can be diverted from the fresh air flow 15 and supplied to at least one of the exhaust air blower wheels 24 in order to drive the respective exhaust air blower wheel 24. According to the example of Fig. 2. The bypass 36 can have an outlet nozzle 38 on the respective exhaust fan wheel 24, which is directed towards the blades 39 of the exhaust fan wheel 24. Consequently, the bypass airflow 37 exiting the outlet nozzle 38 can strike the blades 39 and thereby drive the exhaust fan wheel 24. A bypass hose 40 connects the outlet nozzle 38 to a sampling point 41, at which the bypass 36 is connected on the pressure side to a fresh air duct 42 on or in the housing 11, and through which the bypass airflow 37 is drawn. Fig. Figure 2 shows such a pneumatic drive coupling via the bypass 36 between the fresh air blower 23 and the exhaust blower 24 only for the exhaust blower 24 shown on the left. It is clear that a similar configuration can also be provided for the exhaust blower 24 on the right. Furthermore, it is clear that then the in Fig. The coaxial arrangement of the respective exhaust air blower wheel 24 to the fresh air blower wheel 23 shown in Figure 2 is no longer required.

[0036] According to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 The respective exhaust air outlet 30 can be located in the area of ​​a rear end 43 of a front flap 44, which closes the front compartment 6 at the top. According to Fig. 3. The fresh air intake 27 can be integrated, in particular, into this front flap 44. It is clear that in other embodiments the fresh air intake 27 can also be located elsewhere, for example in the front of the vehicle. The respective exhaust air outlet 30 is thus located at a lower end of a windshield 45 of the electric vehicle 1. Advantageously, the respective exhaust air outlet 30 is directed towards the windshield 45 such that the exhaust airflow 28 flows towards the windshield 45 from the outside.

[0037] To allow the fresh air outlet ducts 16 to pass through the front wall 8, separate openings can generally be provided for each individual fresh air outlet duct 16. However, simplified installation results if the front wall 8 has a common opening 46 for all fresh air outlet ducts 16, through which all fresh air outlet ducts 16 pass through the front wall 8. Advantageously, this common opening 46 is located centrally with respect to the vehicle's transverse direction Y, i.e., essentially in the middle of the front wall 8.

Claims

[1] Electric vehicle (1), in particular passenger cars, with a passenger compartment (5), with a front compartment (6) which connects to the front of the passenger compartment (5), with a front wall (8) that separates the passenger compartment (5) from the front compartment (6), with an air conditioning system (10) for air conditioning the passenger compartment (5), wherein the air conditioning system (10) has a housing (11) arranged in front of the front wall (8) in the front compartment (6), which contains a cooler (13) and a heater (14) and at least partially a blower (12), wherein at least one fresh air outlet duct (16) of the air conditioning system (10) leads from the housing (11) through the front wall (8) into the passenger compartment (5), characterized by , that the housing (11) is designed as a body-in-white stiffening structure and is installed in the body-in-white (3) of the electric vehicle (1) to stiffen a body-in-white structure (3), and that the blower (12) comprises a fresh air blower wheel (23) that drives fresh air from a fresh air inlet (27) open to the environment (26) of the electric vehicle (1) to at least one fresh air outlet duct (16), at least one exhaust air blower wheel (24) that drives exhaust air from an exhaust air inlet (29) open to the front compartment (6) to an exhaust air outlet (30) open to the environment (26), and a blower motor (31) that drives at least the fresh air blower wheel (23). [2] Electric vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the housing (11) has a rigid metal frame (19) and / or at least one rigid metal support (20) attached to the basic structure (3). [3] Electric vehicle (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the body shell structure (3) in the front area (6) has a strut tower (21) on each side of the vehicle, that the housing (11) is firmly connected to the strut towers (21). [4] Electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that the fresh air blower wheel (23) is arranged in a central area of ​​the front wall (8) with respect to a vehicle transverse direction (Y), that two exhaust air blower wheels (24) are provided, which are arranged on both sides of the fresh air blower wheel (23) with respect to the vehicle transverse direction (Y), that two exhaust outlets (30) are provided, each of which is assigned to an exhaust fan wheel (24). [5] Electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the blower motor (31) drives the fresh air blower wheel (23) and the at least one exhaust air blower wheel (24). [6] Electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by, that the blower (12) has a bypass (36) on a pressure side of the fresh air blower wheel (23) which discharges a bypass airflow (37) and supplies at least one exhaust air blower wheel (24) to drive the exhaust air blower wheel (24). [7] Electric vehicle (1) according to claim 6, characterized by , that the bypass (36) on the respective exhaust fan wheel (24) has an outlet nozzle (38) which is directed towards blades (39) of the exhaust fan wheel (24), so that the bypass airflow (37) exiting from the outlet nozzle (38) drives the respective exhaust fan wheel (24). [8] Electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by , that the respective exhaust air outlet (30) is arranged in the area of ​​a rear end (43) of a front flap (44) for closing the front compartment (6) and is directed towards a windshield (45) so that the exhaust air flows towards the windshield (45) from the outside. [9] Electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by , that the front wall (8) has a central opening (46) in respect of the vehicle transverse direction (Y) through which all fresh air outlet channels (16) are led from the housing (11) into the passenger compartment (5).

Images